In current months, movies like Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s twelfth Fail and The Viral Fever (TVF) net sequence Aspirants have captured the creativeness of 1,000,000 Indians. On the coronary heart of their enchantment lies a story of battle, redemption, and status that comes from passing one of many hardest aggressive examinations on the earth—the UPSC (Union Public Service Fee) Civil Companies Examination (CSE)—and the life this landmark achievement follows.  (Above picture of Dr Ram Gopal Naik, a 2002-batch IPS officer) 

Thus, it comes as no shock that plans are afoot but once more within the Hindi movie business to make a film primarily based on the life and profession of Dr Ram Gopal Naik, a 2002-batch officer of the Indian Police Service (IPS). Portraying the doctor-turned-police officer’s eventful life is Imran Zahid, an actor who lately performed the position of a younger man from a small city in Bihar who desires of changing into an IAS (Indian Administrative Service) officer within the 2023 movie Ab Dilli Dur Nahin. 

Additionally starring veteran filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, this film was impressed by the real-life story of Govind Jaiswal, a rickshaw puller’s son who grew to become an IAS officer in 2007. 

Chatting with The Higher India, Dr Naik, who’s at present the DCP (deputy commissioner of police), Metro Police, within the nationwide capital, says, “The information got here as a significant shock. It was an emotional second for my spouse and kids. They had been so excited. Primarily based on real-life incidents, a film about my life will encourage my workers additional. In spite of everything, it’s an actual type of recognition for our work. As an officer, I is usually a position mannequin for them.”  

In the meantime, talking about enjoying a real-life character, Imran says, “Everytime you painting a dwelling individual in a efficiency, it turns into an authoritative portrayal of their experiences: their motivations, the challenges they confronted, and the way they overcame their struggles.”

Selecting IPS over drugs     

Born in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh (AP), Dr Naik grew up in an upper-middle-class household the place his father served as an officer within the customs and central excise division, whereas his mom was a homemaker. Like 1000’s of kids in AP, his preliminary objective was to develop into a health care provider. 

It was throughout his third yr of medical college learning MBBS that he determined to organize for the central civil companies examination. Nevertheless, what impressed this determination was a private tragedy. 

Whereas learning on the Andhra Medical School within the early Nineteen Nineties, his brother-in-law was murdered following a enterprise rivalry. A stunning improvement, it left his household coping with a disaster. However, amid this disaster, he noticed one thing that would go away an indelible impression.    

“There have been many influential folks with infamous prison backgrounds concerned on this homicide case. Fortuitously, we had an excellent police officer who pretty investigated the case. On this case, I noticed one of the best of what a police officer can do and the impression they will have on our society. As an officer of the regulation, he was capable of assist our household, handle different professionals engaged on this investigation, and nab the culprits as nicely. As a substitute of changing into a health care provider, I felt I could possibly be extra helpful to society as a police officer,” recollects Dr Naik.  

Whereas Dr Naik struggles to recall the identify of the officer who solved his brother-in-law’s homicide greater than 30 years after it occurred, he can not overlook the impression the episode left behind. After all, with different relations out and in of the service motivating him to make that transition to a profession within the IPS, this reminiscence remained seared in his consciousness.   

After finishing his MBBS in 1996, he served as a health care provider for 3 years till 1999 when he determined that he wanted an entire shift away from a profession in drugs.        

“From my third yr onwards, I started getting ready for the UPSC examination. I used to be concurrently learning for my MBBS and getting ready for the Union Civil Companies examination. Following my MBBS, I labored at a personal hospital in Visakhapatnam for a short time earlier than leaving for Hyderabad to affix UPSC teaching courses. To assist myself financially, nonetheless, I even labored on the Apollo Hospital in Jubilee Hills as an emergency doctor,” he recollects. 

“My determination to stop drugs and put together [full-time] for the UPSC examination was met by vehement opposition within the household. They needed me to proceed as a health care provider and earn nicely,” he provides.  

In his first try, Dr Naik reached the interview stage however missed out. However serving to him alongside the best way had been a couple of associates he had identified since major college. They had been additionally getting ready for it. 

“They supported me quite a bit. They may not get by however they had been blissful that I did,” he says.      

Their religion in Dr Naik would ultimately repay as he cleared the interview stage in his subsequent try. He joined the IPS in 2002 as a part of the DANIPS (Delhi, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Dadra, and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu Police Service) cadre. 

Since changing into an IPS officer, Dr Naik has gone on to attain an excellent deal. From receiving a particular commendation from the Andhra Pradesh authorities for organising aid operations after Cyclone HUD HUD in 2014 to investigating and extraditing Sanjeev Chawla, the bookmaker famously concerned with the deceased cricket participant Hansie Cronje, in fixing matches between India and South Africa in 2000, Dr Naik has many achievements to his identify. 

Different notable achievements embody initiating the modernisation technique of the Lakshadweep Police throughout his first official posting and investigating and fixing the 2008 bomb blasts within the M-Block Market of Larger Kailash, New Delhi. In 2018, he additionally solved the paper leak case of the CBSE Class 12 economics and Class 10 arithmetic examinations. 

In 2021, he received the President’s Police Medal for Gallantry in January 2021 for conducting a daring rescue operation of a kidnapped 5-year-old boy in Sahibabad, Uttar Pradesh (UP). Throughout his profession, he has investigated a plethora of circumstances however this one stands out. 

Ram Gopal Naik, DCP Crime Department: Delhi Police Crime Department with assist of Ministry of Exterior Affairs and House Affairs was attempting to get him (Sanjeev Chawla).In 2013, extradition course of began. Now we have received 12-days custody.Now we have not but questioned him,course of will begin now. pic.twitter.com/I4yOF3swVS— ANI (@ANI) February 13, 2020

Rescuing a baby                  

On 25 January 2018, as preparations for that yr’s Republic Day celebrations had been in full power, a five-year-old son of a distinguished businessman in Northeast Delhi was kidnapped. 

In response to a report by The Indian Categorical, “Earlier than the kidnapping, the accused performed a recce of the world for over a month and determined to focus on the varsity bus. They made three failed makes an attempt on January 21, 22 and 23.” Chatting with the media, the then JCP (Crime Department) Alok Kumar recognized the accused as Nitin Sharma, Ravi Kumar, and Pankaj alias Singh Saheb. 

He additionally stated the three suspects had hatched a plan to kidnap the kid after “Sunny Gupta, father of the kid, lately finalised an actual property deal of Rs 60 lakh. The main points of the deal had been widespread information of everybody who stayed in Gupta’s locality GTB Enclave. Nitin thought he might earn a superb ransom if he kidnapped Gupta’s son.”

On the morning of 25 January, when the varsity van was approaching the varsity, the abductors intercepted it and snatched the boy for ransom. The abductors shot the motive force within the leg and took the boy to a two-bedroom flat in Sahibabad’s Shalimar Metropolis residences. 

“On the time, I used to be working as DCP of Delhi Police Crime Department. Initially, the case was taken up by the native police. For per week, the native police couldn’t get any leads. On condition that the incident occurred a day earlier than Republic Day, there was a variety of stress on the Delhi Police Commissioner to resolve this case and rescue the boy. My commissioner took a name that the case ought to be transferred to the Crime Department and I used to be chosen to deal with this delicate investigation given {that a} boy’s life was at stake,” he says. 

As soon as Dr Naik’s crew took over the case, they deployed their sources on the bottom and introduced on officers with “good information of prison networks in Northeast Delhi”.  

“One in all our officers ultimately received a lead that three individuals had been lacking within the space the place the boy was picked up and that they could be concerned within the case. We additionally went by their prison information and posited that they could possibly be concerned. In the meantime, we additionally saved in contact with the daddy of the boy who was receiving requires a ransom. Moreover these calls, he was additionally receiving movies [on WhatsApp] of the abductors claiming that they’ve his son and voice recordings too the place he might hear his son pleading to say, ‘Papa, I like you’,” he says.

Moreover coping with kidnappers, in addition they needed to cope with a terrified father. 

“He in all probability felt that cooperating with the police would put his son’s life in danger. Thus, he wasn’t being very cooperative. The abductors had demanded Rs 60 lakh as ransom and we requested him to barter to purchase a while and hint these calls. However we consider he was actively hiding issues from us. We found that he was even arranging the cash to repay the abductors in order that his youngster might come again residence,” he says. 

So, Dr Naik recollects that his crew “engaged in some moral hacking” of the daddy’s telephone in order that they may have first-hand details about what was being mentioned. In the meantime, the abductors set a date and site for the trade. After this dialog, Dr Naik took the daddy into confidence and guaranteed him that they’d rescue his youngster.            

Chatting with The Statesman on the time, Dr Naik stated, “As ransom calls had been additionally made out of close by areas we chosen a couple of areas and saved an in depth watch on a couple of suspects there. In the meantime, by native sources and technical surveillance, police recognized Nitin as a chief suspect. Police saved observe of his actions and deployed sources to maintain a better watch on him.”

“Once we shared Nitin’s photos with the sufferer’s father, he recognized him as a frequent customer of the world,” Naik famous. After an intensive investigation, he was recognized as one of many kidnappers.

After taking the daddy into confidence, Dr Naik realized that Nitin was attending a marriage in Northeast Delhi. In response to this information, Dr Naik and his crew attended this marriage ceremony pretending to be company. On the marriage ceremony venue, one of many officers recognized the principle suspect. 

Initially, they considered nabbing him there however determined towards this transfer due to the commotion it might create. As a substitute, they trailed his automobile out of the venue. 

In his dialog with The Statesman, Dr Naik stated, “Police began following Nitin from 8 pm [on 5 February 2018] until 12.30 midnight [when he was intercepted]. He was driving his Swift at speeds near 90 km/hr to 100km/hr. Police adopted him on 4 bikes and 4 vans.” 

After the principle suspect dropped his girlfriend at her residence, the police continued trailing him. 

Once more, Dr Naik added, “Round 12.30 am, Nitin was intercepted close to a neighborhood block in Seemapuri [near the Delhi-UP border]. Earlier than his car stopped, he hit our car and he was drunk. He was additionally carrying three cellphones. On interrogation, he informed police that two of his associates had saved the kid in a flat in Shalimar Metropolis in Sahibabad.” 

After getting the principle suspect to admit the place they had been holding the boy, there have been discussions amongst senior officers who had been knowledgeable of the interception that they need to wait to assemble extra power (personnel). Dr Naik disagreed and stated that there was no time they usually wanted to maneuver quick with the suspect of their custody. 

“Furthermore, his telephones are with us and if he’s unreachable, his accomplices might get alerted, go away the residence, and presumably hurt the boy as nicely. Fortunately, my high boss on the Delhi Crime Department trusted my instincts,” he says.  

In just 1.5 hours, Dr Naik’s crew reached the residence advanced, did an entire recce of it, lined all of the exits, received into the flat amidst a firefight, and rescued the boy. To grasp the format of the two-bedroom residence, Dr Naik and two different officers visited one other residence in the identical advanced and requested the household residing inside if they may have a look. 

“As soon as we understood the format of this residence, we took positions exterior the fifth-floor flat the place the kid was being saved. In the meantime, we additionally had a crew ready beneath with blankets and nets prepared in case the abductors tried to throw the boy off the balcony. At this important juncture, we determined to ship the suspect to ring the bell,” he recollects.  

The primary suspect Nitin proceeded to ring the bell, however the second his confederate opened the door he sensed that one thing was flawed and tried to close it instantly. 

“As he was about to close the door, I informed one in every of my officers that we needed to break these doorways down. Fortunately, there was a bit of hole on high of the iron grill door. One in all my officers was capable of bend the iron grill a part of the door down and that left sufficient house for me to enter. Following this, the abductors inside started firing at us,” he recollects. As per information experiences, a bullet hit Inspector Vinay Tyagi’s vest, whereas one other hit commando Kuldip Singh. 

Amidst this chaos, Dr Naik climbed over the bent iron grill and took a peek on the hole left behind by a second picket door inside to see if the kid was inside the principle corridor of the flat. 

“I discovered that the boy wasn’t there. That’s after I ordered the personnel behind me to fireside again. There was an trade of fireside. One of many kidnappers was shot down on the bottom mendacity in a pool of blood whereas the opposite was shot within the leg. My crew instantly adopted me inside whereas I went straight to the bed room to seek out the kid below a blanket,” he recollects. 

Suffice it to say, the kid was terrified following the trade of fireside exterior. “I slowly took down the blanket and informed him, ‘Beta, mein police uncle hoon. Mein tumhare papa ke paas le jaane ke liye aaya hoon.’ After listening to these phrases, he instantly jumped out of bed and hugged me. I carried him out of the flat masking his eyes. As we had been driving to GTB Hospital, I referred to as up his father and informed him that we had rescued his youngster safely. This was round 2 am within the wee hours [of 6 February 2018]. The daddy was asleep after we referred to as him,” he recollects.

In the meantime, among the many different two suspects contained in the flat, one was killed whereas the opposite was injured. The police personnel injured by gunshots had been saved by their bulletproof vests. 

“All of us made our method to GTB Hospital. After the physician on responsibility confirmed that the kid had not suffered any critical accidents or abuse, the dad and mom took him into their arms. It was an emotional second seeing these tearful dad and mom reuniting with their son. I additionally shed a tear. 4 officers, together with me, acquired the President’s Police Medal for Gallantry,” he recollects. 

Whereas the lifetime of a police officer has its share of controversy and disappointments, it’s moments like these that make the journey price it. Seeing that tearful reunion between the dad and mom and their son, “and the truth that you made it doable”, is what makes this path price it.  

(Edited by Padmashree Pande; Pictures courtesy Dr Ram Gopal Naik and Instagram/Imran Zahid)